The Yale Liver Research Core Center brings together a multidisciplinary group of 27 independent principal investigators as well as additional professional supporting personnel in the departments of Medicine, Pathology, Pediatrics, Diagnostic Radiology, Laboratory Medicine, Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Human Genetics, and Cell biology at the School of Medicine in order to further the study of liver structure, function and disease. The Center focuses on six major themes: 1) Cellular and molecular biology of the hepatocyte; 2) hepatic transport; 3) hepatic metabolic function; 4) hepatic fibrogenesis; 5) splanchnic hemodynamics; and 6) clinical studies of hepatic disorders. The research activities of the Center are broad and range from fundamental studies of the biology of the hepatocyte to immediate clinical relevancy in the evalution of chronic human liver disease. The principal goals of this Center have been to: 1) stimulate multidisciplinary interactions; 2) provide a rich training environment; 3) foster national and international collaborations; 4) efficiently organize time consuming, more costly techniques and procedures and core facilities for multiple use; 5) to stimulate basic scientists to become more involved in one or more of the Center's areas of research interest; 6) to capitalize on important new research opportunities through pilot feasibility projects, and 7) to create an institutional environment to greatly amplify progress and answer problems in this important area of digestive disease.